The art of flotation equipment is filled with myriad devices for providing buoyancy to a wearer in emergency situations. One of the most compact devices is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,557 for POCKET-SIZED, EMERGENCY FLOTATION DEVICE issued to Bradley A. Biesecker. That patent features a pocket-sized, portable, flotation device, including a life vest, that folds into a carrying case that is the size of a cellular phone or camera. The device can be carried in a shirt or a jacket pocket, or clipped to the wearer's waistline belt at any point about the girth. Upon activation, the flotation device inflates into a collar, which separates the flotation balloon into separate compartments or cells, each of which is substantially sealed from adjacent compartments to prevent or reduce deflation of the adjacent cells through puncture or other mishap to one of the cells.
The carrying case has a body and a detachable, arch-shaped cover, constructed so that a tether can be inserted into the cover and the device automatically activated merely by pulling the cover from the body. The user is instructed to pull or draw the cover continuously until the life vest is inflated.
As the market for personal flotation devices increases and regulations are enacted relating to the manufacture and use of such devices, more sophisticated features are also required. For example, the present invention reflects the discovery that there is a need for the storage case of such equipment to include a handle or belt loop through which the belt of the user can be inserted. Moreover, if the handle is hollow, it can receive the tether, attached to the life vest itself. The handle can be adapted to receive a separate belt worn by the user or to receive a belt integral with the storage case itself.
Also, it has been found that inflating the life vest too quickly can be awkward or even dangerous for the user. It is considered to be beneficial for the life vest to inflate relatively slowly, to allow the user to position it over his or her head before and during inflation.
The U.S. Coast Guard is in the process of requiring that a personal flotation device user be able to determine the status of the device, visually, without removing same from its storage case.
It would be advantageous to provide an emergency flotation device that can be folded into a small pack that is easily carried almost anywhere on a person.
It would also be advantageous to provide for a handle, attached to the storage case of such device, through which the belt of the user can be inserted.
It would also be advantageous to provide for the handle to be hollow, to form a loop into which the tether, attached to the life vest itself, can be threaded.
It would further be advantageous to provide a mechanism for visually determining the status of the device, without removing same from its storage case.
It would also be advantageous to provide an emergency flotation device in which the life vest inflates relatively slowly, one cell at a time, to allow the user to position same over his or her head before and during inflation.